In a any software system (such as SCADA, HMI or DCS) that has to communicate with IEDs (devices), a tag (a description of how to read/write and format the data from a device) must be defined for every measurement that the software expects to read and write to an IED. This process is time-consuming and increases the time a systems integrator takes to install and commission a large software system. The more powerful a device's features/capabilities, the more tags/measurements that need to be defined and entered for use by the software.
The more sophisticated the capabilities of an IED (device), the more difficult it is to properly utilize the IED within a particular customer's system. Often how a device is used is very specific to the problems or issues that a customer is trying to solve, or around the market segment in which they are deployed. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find personnel that are experienced in a device's capabilities, and in the various market segments in which a particular device might be deployed. This lack of experienced personnel can result in poorly designed and implemented software solutions that do not truly meet the needs of the customer.
It is often difficult to do analysis on alarms and measurement data because the available information is insufficient. Often the creators of reports and/or analytical tools need to collect the required information after the fact, which requires extensive labor-intensive work.